I said to Ariena,

“Then let’s take one more step forward.”

“Ugh. Y-yes.”

“There’s no need to force yourself to look down. Just keep your eyes straight ahead.”

“I will.”

“If your fear still won’t settle… then please, trust me.”

“Huh?”

Ariena looked up at me.

“Would I really let you die, my lady?”

“…”

Strangely enough, her trembling stopped at those words.

She took a deep breath and smiled.

“All right. I believe you.”

“Thank you. Let’s go.”

Swoosh.

Just like that, we stepped out into the air.

Neril cast her spell right on time.

“Flying.”

As though invisible stairs were laid before us, we quite literally walked through the sky.

And from behind us—

“O heavenly god, reveal your radiant brilliance here.”

Whoooosh.

A dazzling light enveloped us.

That’s right.

We were putting on the very image of divine descent, wrapped in light from above.

Telling the Count—the man who orchestrated all this—that Ariena had returned safely would only have temporary impact.

But revealing her return in front of thousands of assembled soldiers, and in such a scene that would be remembered for generations, would leave no room for doubt.

The mystical appearance was just the finishing touch.

As expected, below us, the reaction was exactly what I’d hoped for.

“Waaaah! It’s Lady Ariena!”

“The man next to her…?”

“Ah! It’s the Sword master of No Killing, Mide Mohan!”

“The Lady is being escorted by the Sword master himself!”

“She’s safe! Thank goodness!”

Step.

With every step we took, we descended a little closer to the ground.

The soldiers, as if it had been rehearsed, stepped back and cleared a wide space for us.

Soon after—

Ariena and I finally touched down.

“Phew.”

Ariena shuddered slightly, her tension finally releasing, but she quickly regained her posture and raised her voice.

“Everyone. I know your hearts must have been troubled at the thought of being dragged into war. You were probably weighed down by thoughts of the families you left at home, and the hardship that would surely follow the war’s end.”

“…”

“You don’t need to worry anymore. There will be no war. I’ve returned, haven’t I?”

“Wooooooah!”

“All of this was thanks to the ‘Hero,’ Sir Mide. He found me and protected me. Sir Mide, on behalf of all the people of this land, I thank you.”

She hadn’t discussed this with me beforehand.

But Ariena bowed her head to me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

I quickly bowed back and answered in a ‘heroic’ tone.

“Please. I only acted because my heart ached at the thought of meaningless bloodshed. It was the cries and sorrow of the people that moved me.”

“Sir Mide…”

“I learned much through saving the Lady. Who else could love the people of this land as she does? In saving her, I believe I’ve saved the very future of this territory.”

Anyone with a political mind would have understood the hidden message in my words.

The soldiers stirred slightly at first…

But soon, a unified chorus of voices rose up.

“He’s right! Lady Ariena is the future of Avis!”

“Thank you for returning safely, my lady!”

“Thanks to the Hero as well!”

“Please, this way—just look our way once!”

“Long live the Hero! Long live Lady Ariena!”

Their cheers echoed across the entire territory.

The cries lasted nearly twenty minutes.

I enjoyed the heated atmosphere and thought to myself: Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel※fire.net

‘Ohoho. I can hear my fame rising.’

Trail chimed in joyfully:

[Yes! That late-night overtime fatigue is melting away!]

—

After the uproar died down, we finally had an audience with Count Tobira.

He looked as if he’d aged ten years, slumped in his chair.

I lifted the corner of my mouth and said,

“I’ve kept my promise, Count. I brought the Lady back safely.”

“H-hmph. I see. I thank you for that.”

“I only did what had to be done. I’d also like to greet Branch Chief Deirt. Do you know where he might be?”

The Count didn’t catch the sarcasm in my tone.

Looking genuinely curious, he replied,

“I’m not sure. I haven’t heard from him in days.”

“I see.”

“In any case, your task is complete. I’ll see that you’re rewarded appropriately, so you may go.”

That’s when it happened.

Clack.

Ariena stepped forward and spoke.

“Count.”

“Hm? Ah, Ariena. Forgive me, in the chaos I didn’t even greet you properly. I’m truly glad you’ve returned safely.”

“So am I. And to celebrate that return, I have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

Her voice was soft and calm as she continued.

“How long do you plan to keep that heavy ass of yours in that chair?”

“…”

A suffocating silence blanketed the room.

The Count blinked, unsure if he’d heard her correctly.

Ariena went on.

“Get up. That chair doesn’t look sturdy enough to support your weight anyway.”

“Y-you… What are you saying?! Have you lost your mind?”

“You’re still saying things like that?”

“Clearly, your mind has suffered from your ordeal. Guards! Is no one there? Take Ariena away. Right now!”

But no one came.

The Count tilted his head in confusion and raised his voice again.

“Isn’t anyone out there?!”

“There isn’t. I asked them to leave.”

“W-what?”

“I informed them early on that my abduction and the war preparations began with your schemes.”

The Count’s face turned pale.

“And that’s not all. Two hours. That’s how long it took for the commotion outside to settle before I stood before you.”

“…”

“In that short time, I successfully won over quite a few people. Easier than I thought. Especially with this.”

Ariena reached into her clothes and pulled something out.

It was the document I’d written—listing all of the Count’s crimes.

“This is a copy. Feel free to read it.”

She tossed it toward him.

The Count turned ghostly white the moment he read the first line.

Ariena continued.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Sure, no one’s entirely clean, but this? This is excessive.”

“Y-you wench… Don’t tell me you’re after my seat!”

“Who knows? Rather than me aiming for it, it seems people are lifting me up to it. So many have already turned their backs on you.”

“…!”

“As an enemy, you’re just full of openings.”

At that, Ariena turned toward us.

“Everyone. I’m sorry, but could you give us a moment? I’d like to have a private conversation with the Count.”

I scratched my head.

“Will you be all right?”

“Yes. You’ve done more than enough, Hero. From here on, it’s my burden to bear.”

“Understood.”

“Sir Hero.”

Swoosh.

She approached me.

And in a whisper only I could hear, she said—

“Although I don’t know all the details of your grand plan, Hero, there’s one thing I can tell you.”

“…….”

“If I take control of this place, I’ll become a strong supporter of yours.”

“A supporter?”

“Yes. I’m sure your fame will reach the capital soon enough, but it’s still quite far, isn’t it? If you ever need anything, just contact me. I’ll synchronize my communication orb with yours.”

Ohh.

That was exactly what I wanted to hear.

[The plan worked.]

‘Yeah, thank goodness. Kaeld has already extended his reach to the capital. Of course, I’ll have to break into that territory someday too, but until then, I needed someone solid at my back.’

[Hmm.]

It was then—

Ding! You have gained 2,000 Fame Points.

Fame Points required for next level: 9,760/20,000

Your name will begin to echo throughout the Avis Territory.

Total Fame Points to be gained from this incident: 8,000

Your name is now spreading through the Drucker Territory. (All points collected!)

Your name is now spreading through the Quelk Territory. (All points collected!)

Your name is now spreading through the Lior Territory. (All points collected!)

Neril Slane now sees you as ‘a man with fatal charm’.

Xenia Seide now sees you as ‘a man who’s bound to be popular’.

Ariena de Main now sees you as ‘a man she wants but can’t have’.

Huh. Hmm.

This round of evaluations feels… heavily skewed in one direction.

[Light has finally found its way to you after 34 years. Congratulations.]

‘I told you, it’s been 27.’

[Same thing. Basically your whole life.]

‘No, it’s not. Don’t exaggerate.’

[Are you sure? Place your hand on your chest and think carefully.]

Instead of putting my hand on my chest, I looked over at Neril and Xenia.

If I don’t manage my expression, I think the corners of my lips might twitch. Gotta stay alert.

“Well then, we’ll be on our way.”

“Yeah. Take care, miss.”

At Neril’s farewell, Ariena gave a small bow.

“Yes. I’m sorry for making a fuss about age last time.”

“Not at all. I actually liked it.”

This time, Xenia spoke up.

“May the blessings of the gods guide your path.”

“Fufu. Thank you. Though I think I’ve already received a better blessing.”

With those words, Ariena gave me a subtle glance.              ( TL : Isn’t she married? )

We quickly turned away.

Just as the door shut with a click, Ariena ’s voice rang out.

“Well then, shall we start with something light? First of all, the numbers in the tax report to the capital look quite suspicious.”

“Ah, Ariena, let’s talk this out calmly.”

“We are talking.”

“Ughh.”

“Or should I bring Mother into this too?”

Phew. Scary woman.

Neril chuckled and said,

“I didn’t expect her to be so gutsy. It’s hard to believe she was trembling atop Agril.”

“Hm. She’s always been incredibly capable. I just gave her the chance to use it.”

At that, Xenia grumbled,

“By the way, Agril said this was the last time. Don’t expect me to persuade it again. I’m serious.”

“I’m counting on you again.”

“Ugh! Did you even hear what I just said?”

“Now that I think of it, I heard the pheasant dishes around here are amazing. Should we try them before leaving the territory?”

Xenia clamped her mouth shut.

“Th-that’s supposed to be really expensive, you know.”

“Well, as you know, I’ve got a bit of money.”

“…….”

“Three times?”

“Five.”

“Four.”

“…Fine. Four.”

Too easy.

While we were tearing into a hearty pheasant dinner, a guest requested to join our table.

Even before we could respond, he plopped into a chair.

“Oho. Is this the local specialty? Looks delicious.”

Slide.

Xenia quietly pulled the dish toward us.

The guest—Offense—clicked his tongue awkwardly.

“I do know how to eat meat, you know.”

“Not as well as I do.”

“Was that a boast?”

“This was part of my deal with Mr. Mide. You can buy your own.”

Offense let out a chuckle.

Then glanced at me and said,

“Even among hero parties, yours feels quite different from the other one.”

At those words, Neril and Xenia straightened up.

Neril spoke.

“You mean Kaeld. Kaeld Wake. He’s just playing hero, trying to copy Mide.”

“Honestly, considering who appeared first, it’s more like Mide’s the one copying Kaeld.”

“This guy’s the real hero. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Hmm.”

Offense’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Yeah, definitely a different vibe from the other party.”

“Specifically how?”

“Well, the others are like Kaeld fanboys, if I had to put it bluntly. ‘Kaeld will take care of everything’—they just stare at his mouth, waiting for orders. I guess I was like that too.”

“…….”

“Sure, Mide is the core of your group too, but I can feel that each of you has your own role, your own drive to contribute. There’s more humanity here, you could say.”

Kaeld definitely had that quality.

He was so exceptional that he ended up soaking up all the praise and reverence.

Back before my regression, the other heroes in his party basically existed to make him shine.

I said,

“So? Are you saying you were deeply moved by me?”

“Hah. I could never say it that way. But this much I can say.”

“…….”

“I watched closely how you wrapped things up here. It was dazzling—literally and figuratively. I doubt there’s a more brilliant way to build fame.”

“…….”

“Don’t know why, but Kaeld was obsessed with fame too. Still, the way you go about it… feels far more refined.”

He paused for a moment.

Then, meeting my gaze head-on, he added,

“At the very least, I think your way is more befitting of a true Hero.”

Nailed it!

Just in case, I asked Trail to bring up my status screen.

And sure enough, it read:

Offense Dake now sees you as ‘more heroic than Kaeld’.